The attack happened some time before 4 p.m. Thursday in the 9800 block of Camberley Circle. But the Orange County Sheriff's Office didn't notify the media until just before 7 a.m. Friday.

The reason for the delay was attributed to the fact that the call originally came in as a routine incident — traffic accident.

Spokesman Jeff Williamson said there was an altercation between the attacker and victim inside the garage of a home that spilled out onto the driveway. Both individuals know each other, he said.

The wounded victim got into a Toyota Camry with a 6-year-old inside and tried to drive away. He crashed the vehicle into a lamp post just feet away, Williamson said.

The man was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition. He was identified by witnesses at the scene. The child is in its mother's custody, Williamson said.

The car the victim was driving had blood stains on the door. Another trail of drops lined the street near the home where the stabbing occurred.

Crime-scene tape blocked neighbor Tim Buckley from his house when he arrived to his community Thursday night.

He said the homeowners association described the attack in email to residents as an "isolated incident."

"It's a little unsettling," Buckley said, adding that he and other neighbors have purchased firearms to protect their families after a number of burglaries. "It's not what you would expect in this neighborhood."